


Haven't got a blank page

by Demonic_activity



Series: Flash Bang #1 - Bingo (Team Green) [46]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fluff and Crack, M/M, as long as its healthy and loving..., detective!alec, incompetency kink, journalist!magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 23:18:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demonic_activity/pseuds/Demonic_activity
Summary: Magnus is pretty sure he's always been attracted to competency, skill, and talent.That's until he meets detective-incapable-incroyable Alec Lightwood and Magnus is suddenly questioning everything and everyone.There can't be such a thing as an incompetency kink, now can there?Square: detectiveTeam Green (#BecomeGreenWithEnvy!)





	Haven't got a blank page

“Do you have a pen?”

“Pardon me?”

Magnus looks up from his own notebook, glancing at the detective who’s looking at him expectantly.

“Uhmm,” Magnus starts to say as he looks over at the middle-aged man who’s currently being interviewed by detective Lightwood. Magnus shares a somewhat bewildered glance with the man before continuing, “You don’t have a… never mind, hold on.” Magnus pulls a second pen from his messenger bag. It’s a rather fancy fountain pen and he winces when he sees the detective grip it artlessly it in his big, uncouth hands, pressing the delicate tip of it rather forcefully on the crumpled page of his small, overflowing, and stained notebook.

The wince turns into a full-body shudder as he deduces the sad little notebook that seems to lack any structure or system likely holds a wealth of sensitive information, not just from this interview but also from a host of other cases.

Now that he’s looking so closely, the vague yellow stain on the open page appears to match the questionable smudge he noticed earlier on the detective’s collar.

“So -” The brusque voice of the man in question pulls Magnus abruptly from his close observations.

“What did you say, again, he stepped out of the shadows and he threatened you?”

“Yes, I,” the declarant’s voice waivers slightly “Like I said, I, I felt terrified, still do.”

The anguish is clear in the man’s tone and the slight tremble in his lips.

Detective Lightwood makes a noncommittal, grunting noise as he scribbles something down, appearing otherwise unconcerned. “Alright, Mr. Blackwell, I think I have enough for now.” He stuffs his notebook in his pocket, which is already overflowing with pieces of paper and other memorabilia. A plastic sample bag falls out and to Magnus’ horror the detective doesn’t even seem to notice.

The interviewee looks similarly flabbergasted. “Oh, ah, I thought… is there no need for a description, more details, I could –“

Lightwood interrupts him, “We will see the composite artist immediately when we get to the precinct, if you would?” He gestures for the man to lead the way.

Magnus clears his throat. “Detective Lightwood?”

The detective turns to him, brow drawn; though thick lashes seem to somewhat soften the edge of his very direct gaze.

There is no such thing as mustard stains making the color of someone’s eyes pop, right? That… that’s most definitely _not_ a thing, Magnus thinks to himself, almost desperately.

He clears his throat again and points to the little evidence bag on the floor. The detective quickly stoops to pick it up before stalking off. His long legs carrying him just not quite fast enough for Magnus to miss what looks like a hint of a blush on the man’s cheeks.

Magnus absentmindedly chews the inside of his lip. Well, shoot.

\---

The thing is. Magnus had been pretty excited about this opportunity to do an exclusive multi-paged article on police work in NYC. Sure, cops probably aren’t the biggest fans of journalists to begin with, but Magnus is a naturally optimistic person (or he keeps up a good front at the very least).

So how bad could it be?

Magnus wishes he could invent time travel, merely to go three days back and whisper in his past-self’s ear ‘Oh you sweet summer child’.

For a day and a half now he has been shadowing detective Alec Lightwood. That’s where the fun began.

How do you call a problem like Alec Lightwood?

Apparently a great advocate of the little known saying ‘let’s turn that frown further down’, he has done nothing but glare at Magnus from the moment he first laid eyes on him – for starters. Then there is the inevitable mess that seems to follow detective Lightwood around, like he is the human equivalent of a punctured trash bag. In addition to the mess, the man also seems to leave a proper amount of disillusionment and confusion in his wake. Condescending, brusque, bordering on flat-out rude: Lightwood appears to Magnus about as subtle as the storming of Normandy. The detective’s methods of questioning are… questionable, his methods of deduction, inimitable; he seems to simply cherry pick the few facts he would like to use while discarding the rest.

Funnily enough, there is no lack of material for Magnus to work with. He could fill rows upon rows of books with his unsalted opinion of Alec’s incompetence. The way he seems to be in a perpetual state of having lost or forgotten one item or another: pens, cameras, notes, evidence bags, _his gun_. The way he never lets someone finish a sentence. Or the crumbs! Oh, he could go on and on about the endless supply of crumbs Alec seems to shed. Like this morning when there had been one clinging to his lower lip, Magnus hadn’t been able to look away, hand itching to reach out and brush against those pink, plump lips…

Okay so the point is. Magnus has enough to write about, more than enough.

So why hasn’t he been able to get a word on paper?

So, in short, _the thing is_. It’s a disaster.

\----

The next day, the case with Mr. Blackwell, rather, the way Alec has been dealing with the case, still doesn’t sit well with Magnus. The detective has barely been paying attention to Mr. Blackwell’s story, nor has he invested in comforting or assuring the poor man who appears nothing less than traumatized. It doesn’t help with his frustration that, so far, Alec has flat-out refused to sit down with him, either for an interview or just off the record. Coupled with watching Alec spill coffee over an interview transcription, it has Magnus suddenly incensed, and thereby emboldened enough to pick up his notepad and start furiously scribbling.

It’s later that afternoon, when Magnus has just finished making a call to his boss and is about to go look for Alec and tell him goodbye for the day, that he suddenly finds himself eye-to-eye with the detective at the precinct's entry. Magnus is a little stunned to be approached so directly by the prickly detective, so he just opens his mouth and closes it without saying anything, which is so unlike himself that Magnus is already annoyed with this entire conversation. Before he can actually get any words out, however, Alec speaks up.

“So, if I had known you were such a natural with words, I would have lent my assistance sooner. As it is, ' _Defensive, condescending, full of made-up knowledge, almost lethal to the serving of justice'_ is eloquently put, though I must fear it’s hardly a ringing endorsement of our police work here.”

Magnus gulps and it’s his turn to flush.

“I – it’s a rough draft?” he tries weakly. He clears his throat, yearning to break away from the piercing gaze of the detective, but steadfastly holding on, “How did you manage to read that, anyway?”

“I’m a detective, Magnus, albeit one that, apparently, “' _could sooner catch a cold than a crook'_.”

Magnus properly winces this time, “Alright, alright, point taken, shot fired, target hit.”

Alec sighs. He chews on his lower lip as he appraises Magnus, expression closed off and unreadable. He sighs again, “Alright, Bane, with me.”

Magnus feels a little bit like a scolded schoolboy, even though he is pretty sure he has a decent couple of years on the detective. He follows without hesitation, nonetheless.

They sit down in a bright and casual café. The chairs are rickety and Alec smiles as he places his order, nearly causing Magnus to topple to the ground. They sit silently for a moment and Magnus is back at his observation. Alec looks relaxed, leaning slightly back in his chair, staring out the window, but his hand resting on the table is almost unnaturally still and there is something a little tense in his jaw. The sunlight streaming in from outside light up Alec’s face and eyes and he looks a little more human like this. Magnus feels something swoop low in his stomach.

The detective turns back to him, “What do you want to know? Ask away.”

Magnus takes a sip from his tea to hide his surprise. He ponders this opportunity for a moment. There is a burning question, however, that he hasn't been able to let go.

“The Blackwell case…”

“Ah yes,” Alec nods, “That was solved just now.”

This time, Magnus has a hard time hiding his astonishment.

Alec chuckles, and it’s actually a lovely, sweet sound, “Don’t look too surprised, now, even this ‘ _embarrassment of an investigator_ ’ sometimes accidentally manages to solve a crime."

Groaning, Magnus shakes his head, “Okay, but… how?” He’s not sure he would ever admit it at this point, but his curiosity is piqued.

“Off the record?”

Magnus nods in assent.

“Simple, Blackwell and the supposed assailant Pangborn were in it together. It was a ploy for the insurance money for Blackwell’s shop.”

Magnus just blinks at him, still not entirely sure this isn’t all one elaborate joke.

“What?” Alec asks, “All out of questions, Mr. Big Shot Reporter?”

Magnus feels the telltale twitch in the corner of his mouth before he breaks out a smile.

“So, what made you decide to become a cop?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was my last work for the SH Hiatus Flash Bang Bingo (even tho there never was a hiatus, lol!). I enjoyed it, SO MUCH, thanks go out to all my amazing teammates. GO TEAM GREEN!
> 
> Anyway, this is a silly little thing, hope you still liked it. As always, feel free to come chat on [Tumblr](https://demonic-activity.tumblr.com/) when you want to! :) ♥


End file.
